Most Important QA Topics - Analyzing Past Years’ CAT Papers | Quantitative Aptitude

*There is some discrepancy in the no. of questions per category between analyses by TIME and IMS Learning due to different categorization of sub-topics by both leading and reliable organisations. IMS's question categorization is better defined as compared to TIME's, and is also similar to analyses by other leading portals which is why data from IMS has been referred to in the table below

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Given the data, it is evident that arithmetic is the most important section in quant for CAT. It includes topics like Time and Work, Ratio and Proportion, Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Speed Time and Distance etc. Especially in CAT 2021, 11 out of a total of 22 questions asked in each slot were arithmetic which makes it 50% of the section! Though CAT 2022 would be again unpredictable, it would be safe to lay maximum emphasis on this topic, as even before 2021 the weightage of arithmetic questions has been 35-40%.

Read: How Do 99+ Percentilers Prepare For CAT | Part 1 - Quantitative Ability

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Algebra and Geometry are other important topics as together with arithmetic, these two sections constituted close to 90% of the paper in 2021. Hence, especially for aspirants who are starting their preparation late, covering these topics well should be a priority.

Numbers, one of the vastest and most feared topics for those weak in Quant,  accounts for only 6-7% of the total no. of questions on the CAT exam's QA section. Therefore, while it is not advised to neglect the topic, you may not want to make this topic your highest priority.

An effective strategy to ace the quant section of CAT 2022 would be to cover the basic concepts of the more important topics first, and start giving mock tests along with the practice questions. Mock tests would help you assess your strength and weakness areas so you can work on them and would also help you make a better question selection in the actual exam going forward. Also, there might be a few questions in the exam which are considered ‘sitters’ or based directly on formula. Hence it is advised to cover the basics of all topics, so as to not lose out on the opportunity to score these easy marks,

All the best for your preparation!

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